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Payne: On the trail with the buff Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 5, 2023
Zion, Utah — The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness’s design was inspired by a hiking shoe, and it wants to explore like a hiking shoe.
I took Subaru’s latest extreme off-road model all over southwest Utah, and at the end of the day it resembled rugged footwear: covered in dirt, mud and as comfortable as when the day began. Utah, of course, is where every off-road vehicle wants to go on vacation, and the roads here are crawling with Jeeps, Broncos, Tacomas and other dirt-kicking creatures.
Subaru engineers like to say that Wilderness models are “not about about conquering nature, they’re about experiencing nature.” Not that my Wilderness tester doesn’t have Jeep-like aspirations.
It is armed with Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, the only vehicle in its class so equipped. Even terrific, more expensive competitors like that $37,690 Jeep Compass Trailhawk and $39,985 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands don’t come standard with dirt treads. The all-terrains’ value is not just in traction, but in reliability. The carcass and sidewall of off-road tires are more robust than their all-season counterparts, which makes for sure-footedness when the asphalt ends and you begin to explore America’s expansive outback.
Utah’s network of outdoor trails is often dyed the color of red rock, but otherwise, they’re similar to dirt roads you’ll find in Michigan: littered with loose rock, ruts and other obstacles. My driving partner Jeff Glucker — an experienced racer and off-roader — groans about all-seasons on trails and their sidewalls’ vulnerability to jagged rocks. In the Crosstrek Wilderness, we were less concerned, barreling along long stretches of gnarly dirt roads at a healthy Baja-like clip. The Wilderness’s lifted 9.3-inch ground clearance (more than a base Wrangler, for goodness sake) and aluminum front bash plate provided additional assurance.
Crosstrek is also equipped with a Deep Snow/Mud feature in X-Mode. Modeled after Sand/Mud/Ruts modes found in Jeep ‘n’ Bronco off-road hellions, X-Mode dials back the traction control systems, changes transmission mapping, slows automatically on steep declines, and even brakes the inside wheels (torque-vectoring, in engineer speak) for better maneuvering across loose terrain.
Designed for off-road use under 25 mph, X-Mode would alert us that it was in use whenever we dropped below that threshold, so that we had a steady chorus — BEEP BEEP BEEP — of beeps as we barreled along the trails. Annoying, but a reminder that the ‘Ru was engaged in the task at hand.
These tools, of course, will only get you so far in the off-road jungle. Our high-speed trails skirted Sandy Hollow Park — a 4×4 playground of deep sand dunes, rocky climbs and general mayhem. Like stepping up to another level in an arcade game, you’ll want to be armed for such challenges with 30-degree-plus approach and departure angles, locking differentials and removable doors for better visibility. You know, Jeep ‘n’ Bronco and side-by-side stuff.
With its modest 20-degree approach, 21-degree breakover and 33-degree departure angles, the Wilderness dares not enter such territory. But the upgraded Crosstrek does come with its own secret sauce so you can still conquest nature: a 3,500-pound towing capacity.
Thanks to clever transmission engineering, that’s an impressive 2,000 pounds more than the standard 2.5-liter Crosstrek, and a hefty 1,500 pounds more than the Jeep and Ford Bronco Sport Badlands competition.
So with that $20,000 you save by not buying a Wrangler Rubicon, you can buy, say, a used Polaris RZR all-terrain vehicle and trailer — then head into the wilderness and go places on the side-by-side even a Wrangler can’t reach.
Experience and conquer nature.
Nature like Zion or Sandy Hollow or Michigan’s Silver Creek sand dunes and Drummond Island. And the Wilderness can get you to such places with minimal time at service stations (always a pain with a trailer) thanks to an expanded 18-gallon fuel tank to complement the sippy, 27-mpg 2.5-liter Boxer 4-cylinder engine under the hood.
Towing, of course, drinks fuel so the ‘Ru would likely get half the usual 486-mile-range on such trips, but that’s still solid. And is still more than the full 228-mile range of the $46K Subaru Solterra electric vehicle. Subie’s core northern customers are notorious tree-huggers, but they also covet their mules’ road trip capabilities.
Industry insiders say auto customers will have to adapt to a new electric era of longer charging times and poorer vehicle range. But the gas-fueled Crosstrek Wilderness will spoil owners rotten with its AWD, all-terrain-tire ruggedness (which would suck range on an EV), cold-weather ruggedness (which would suck 25% of battery range) and towing capability (reduce EV range by 70%).
Subaru residuals are already some of the industry’s best, and expect used ‘Rus to get even more valuable in the electric age. Good thing 97% of Crosstreks are still on the road. Even if you’re just an occasional off-roader, the $32K Crosstrek Wilderness is a heckuva value.
The Subie’s big center screen is more useful than many luxury vehicles (Mrs. Payne loves it in her new Impreza RS, which bears a similar price to the Wilderness Conestoga wagon). Not only did Wilderness sync wirelessly to Android Auto on my phone, but the ute comes standard with a wireless charging pad so my phone didn’t drain while navigating miles of Utah wilderness.
Of course, most of your time in the Crosstrek will be spent navigating the urban jungle, and here the unibody Crosstrek excels compared to ladder-frame, off-road megabots. Though lifted over its hatchback sibling Impreza, the Crosstrek still exhibits sporty road manners. More importantly, its all-terrain tires were quiet on high-speed four lanes where big-35-inch all-terrain tires on more capable off-roaders get loud.
The faux-leather StarTex-equipped interior is nicely segregated from the four-banger up front and even the continuously-variable transmission — the bane of Subarus past — is unobtrusiveness. Only six-footers in the rear seat might feel pinched, but otherwise the interior is a comfortable sanctuary for long road trips.
The Crosstrek Wilderness is wrapped in one of the wilder Subaru tennis shoe designs on the shelf. Like its successful Outback and Forester Wilderness cousins, it is larded with an expansive rubber sole — er, plastic cladding — to the point where the front end is completely black like a Merrell shoe. Wilderness’s signature bronze highlights on the front fascia and the roof supports complete the signature look.
At a time of rising vehicle prices, Crosstrek Wilderness is a welcome value with all-season dexterity and all-terrain capability. Just be sure to keep a hose in back of the garage. This shoe will need regular cleaning.
Next week: 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel drive five-passenger SUV
Price: $32,290, including $1,295 destination ($35,560 as tested)
Powerplant: 2.5-liter flat-4 cylinder
Power: 182 horsepower, 178 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Continuously-variable with paddle shifters
Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.1 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 3,500 pounds
Weight: 3,500 (est.)
Fuel economy: EPA 25 mpg city/29 highway/27 combined
Report card
Highs: Quiet on-road, capable off-road; 3,500-pound tow rating
Lows: Tight back seat; backup camera warning chime, please
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.